


Awake

by PrinceWolf232



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Relationships, Cinder becomes a Huntress AU, Cinder goes through some shit, Cinder is a touchy gay, Cinder will become the Fall Maiden later on, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fria is a Schnee (headcanon), Friends to rivals to lovers to enemies that are still in love with each other, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Multi, Or Rhodes for that matter, Past Child Abuse, SO MUCH ANGST AND TENSION, She believes that Cinder’s level of beauty should be illegal, She does NOT like Cinder's step family..., Slow Burn, Snowfall, Team EBNI AU, Teen Angst, The Schnee Family are descendants of royalty AU, There will also be mentions of new grimm that I have made, There will be mentions of new abilities that I have added to the Schnee semblance, There will be some Canon Compliance, Winter Maiden Winter Schnee (RWBY), Winter and Cinder are teammates, Winter and Cinder become parents.... kinda, Winter has anger issues, Winter is Weiss and Whitley's legal guardian, Winter is an overprotective girlfriend, Winter wants love and affection, Winter will have a few moments where she panics like the disaster gay that she is, and I mean A LOT of shit, graphic mentions of injury, more tags will probably be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28960740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceWolf232/pseuds/PrinceWolf232
Summary: Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Mistral, there was a girl, born to an unknown name and a life of poverty. This girl was named Cinder… Cinder dreamed of the far-off kingdom of Atlas and how amazing it would be to live there… That is until she arrived and found herself scrubbing floors and serving food… Like a slave… That is until she met her… A young girl born to a legendary name and a life worthy of royalty. Winter Schnee wasn’t like the rest of the Atlas Elites… She was brave, kind, sweet and most of all, she saw Cinder as a human being and treated her as such.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Ruby Rose & Weiss Schnee & Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Cinder Fall/Winter Schnee, Jaune Arc/Lie Ren, Neptune Vasilias/Sun Wukong, Oscar Pine/Whitley Schnee, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Weiss Schnee & Whitley Schnee & Winter Schnee, Weiss Schnee/Nora Valkyrie, Winter Schnee & Penny Polendina, Winter Schnee & Willow Schnee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	1. Ice meets Fire

**Author's Note:**

> So, I finally decided to write this fanfiction, idk why but I thought that it was about time that I wrote an actual Snowfall fanfiction rather than just a few oneshots. Anyway! This fic starts with Winter and Cinder both being 14, so Cinder would have met Rhodes already and already started her training.

Winter leant against the brick wall of a random store in Atlas, watching as the cars went by. She was well hidden from passers-by, both by the dark and by the hood covering her face. She sighed, her breath coming out in a white cloud, and she pushed away from the wall and began walking in search of a place to sleep the night.

It was unusual to find a Schnee outside their manor in the upper level of Atlas, but Winter needed to get out of the house. Even if it meant roaming the streets of Atlas in search of a hotel to stay in for the night while her father spends the whole night nurturing several glasses of whiskey in his office. _Father will have Ironwood send soldiers to find me by morning… He wouldn’t dare ask the police to do it because if it made the papers that his 14-year-old daughter ran away then the press would be all over it_ , Winter thought, her nose scrunched up at the thought of press swarming the house and asking her questions. Although, Winter was rather tall for her age, being around 5’6, so she didn’t stick out like a sore thumb amongst all the adults in Atlas.

It took her a few moments before she realized that she had stopped in the middle of a street. Winter didn’t know how long she had walked for but the golden glow of the building in front of her made her raise her head in curiosity. “The Glass Unicorn?” Winter mumbled, cocking her head to the side in curiosity. The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite place it. Her blue eyes looked around, trying to make sense of where she was but as a cold breeze hit her like a fully loaded truck, Winter realized that she didn’t have a choice but to go inside.

Winter pushed open the door, immediately being struck by warmth and the smell of food, and she had to swallow hard, so she didn’t start salivating. The growl of her stomach reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast that morning. Winter stepped forward, walking towards the reception desk where a stern old woman stood, watching her every move. Winter noticed the two girls hovering at the side, also watching her. Winter narrowed her eyes as she came to a stop in front of the desk.

“We don’t serve beggars” The woman said, a clear hint of disgust in her voice and Winter leaned on the desk and countered, “You don’t serve faunus either… Apparently you beat them” Winter placed her scroll on the table, a video playing on loop of the woman hitting a tired and hungry dog faunus after he asked for some food.

The woman grimaced and Winter asked, “Tell me, have you served a man named Jacques Schnee before?” The woman shakes her head and answers, “No. However, we have accommodated his wife several times in the past” Winter nodded and said, “Then you should have no problems accommodating me” She looked up at the woman, her white hair and blue eyes on show and the woman’s eyes widened, and she opens her mouth to say something when Winter says, “I would appreciate it if you would keep my being here quiet. I do not wish for my father to find me here” The woman nods quickly and says, “Of course ma’am” Her voice is hushed, and Winter smirked, “Good” The woman handed her a key and Winter read the tag and the woman called, “Cinder! Come here girl!” Winter looked up just as a girl with amber eyes and black hair surfaced from the back room.

Winter swallowed hard, mesmerized by this girl and Cinder seemed to be under the same spell. The woman grabbed Cinder by the shoulder and pulled her close. Winter noticed the controller in her other hand and her eyes flitted to the yellow gem around Cinder’s neck and her mind connected the dots. Winter narrowed her eyes, clenching her jaw and her fist. “Please show Miss Schnee to her room” Cinder nodded, and the woman leaned down and whispered something to the girl that made Cinder’s face go paler than it already was.

Cinder stepped forward and Winter smiled at the girl and said, “Lead the way” Cinder let a small smile appear on her face, and she led Winter to the stairs. Winter noticed that the two girls had disappeared as they made it to the top floor of the hotel. Cinder walked ahead of her, noticeably trembling and Winter’s aura pulsed, as if something bad was about to happen.

And Winter’s aura was right.

A foot slid out of the door in front of them and Cinder tripped over it. Winter grabbed her hand, keeping her from hitting the ground, and she pulled Cinder up, pulling the girl a little too hard and Cinder collided with her chest. The two girls stepped out of the room and smirked as they walked past Winter and Cinder but one glare from the blue-eyed girl made them scurry off.

Winter gazed down at the girl in her arms, praying to the gods that she couldn’t feel the thumping of her heartbeat in her chest. Cinder’s amber eyes flicked up to meet Winter’s blue ones, but her gaze quickly dropped to stare at the blue fabric around Winter’s neck. The Schnee chuckles softly, the sound vibrating in her chest, “Are you okay?” Winter’s voice was tender, her hand splayed against Cinder’s back, keeping her up right and the other locked tight with the girl’s other hand and Cinder nodded, “Y-Yes… T-Thank you” Winter cocked her head to the side and said, “Why are you thanking me? I just did what any decent person would do” Cinder looked away and asked, “Met a bunch of ‘decent people’ have you?” Winter felt guilt in her gut, and she asked, “Do people seriously not help you?” Cinder shakes her head and answers, “No. They either turn away and pretend not to notice or they laugh and then I…” Winter lifts Cinder’s head up with her hand and says, “You don’t have to say anything else, okay?” Cinder nods and a faint blush appears on her cheeks before she scrambles away from Winter and stammers over her words, trying her hardest to apologize.

Winter giggles, the sound making Cinder stop and stare and Winter says, “Don’t worry about it. No harm done” Cinder nods hesitantly and Winter walks forward and says, “Lead the way Cinder” Cinder’s breath hitches, and she continues walking, a noticeable crease to her brow as she nibbles on her lower lip in thought.

Eventually they stop outside Winter’s room and Winter reaches to unlock the door when Cinder takes the key from her hand and stammers, “L-Let me” Winter rests a hand on Cinder’s and says, “Cinder, I’ve got it, okay?” Cinder swallows, and she begins, “But I-” Winter cuts her off and says, “Trust me, I’m not going to report you for not opening the door for me. Or for anything for that matter. I’m not like them” She jabs her thumb towards all the Atlas elites sitting on the first floor and Cinder looks away and Winter takes the key from her hand and unlocks the door and pushes it open.

“Would you like to join me?” Winter asks, leaning on the door frame and Cinder looks at her, eyes widened and sparkling with something that Winter can’t quite place. Cinder shakes her head and stammers, “N-No thank you… I-I have to get back to work” Winter hums and asks, “Do you want help?” Cinder’s cheeks flush but Winter can’t tell if it's out of anger or embarrassment, and she snaps, “No! I can do it myself” and she turns on her heel and Winter reaches out her hand, the pads of her fingers brushing Cinder’s arm. Winter sighs, lowering her hand, and she mutters, “I didn’t mean it like that…” Cinder stopped at her words but shook her head and continued walking. Winter watched her leave and slapped a hand to her forehead as she grumbled, “Stupid” repeatedly, walking into her room and closing the door.


	2. A New Friend?

Cinder pushed open the door to the kitchen, her duties fulfilled and exhaustion pulling at every part of her body. Her sore feet dragged against the stone floor as she sat down on the rag that she was forced to call a bed, she thought back to earlier that evening when that Schnee girl stopped her from hitting the ground when her ‘stepsisters’ tripped her up.

 _I think her name was Winter… Yeah… Winter! Her mother mentioned her once or twice before_ , Cinder recounted in her mind, brows furrowed, and her breath hitched when she felt her heart thump in her chest and Cinder brought her hand up to try and stop it. _What is this feeling?_ Cinder asked herself as she stared out at the cracked moon, its bluish hue hitting off the buildings outside and making the glass windows glint. Cinder looked down at her hands and sparks flickered in her palms.

“Interesting semblance” A voice muttered in the dark and Cinder jumped out of her skin. The Schnee girl from earlier walked down the last two steps and stepped foot into the basement. She had her hands rested behind her back and her stance was the definition of perfect, but it also held something else that Cinder couldn’t quite place.

The girl reached up to scratch the back of her neck and she says, “My apologies… I didn’t mean to frighten you” Cinder swallows and asks, “What are you doing down here? If she finds out then…” Cinder stops herself and Winter grimaces and answers, “Yes… I have a faint idea of what she will do…” Winter looks at Cinder and asks, “That necklace isn’t for show… Is it?” Cinder’s hand reaches up to clasp it and she snaps, “How would you know?” Winter pulls off her jacket and rests it on a chair that has been covered by a dusty, old sheet and she rolls up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a blue band with a red crystal in the center.

“Pyroelectricity… My father uses it to keep me in line… As his heir, I can’t act out of line or… I think you get the idea” Winter rolls her sleeve back down and sits on the floor. They sit in silence for a moment until the clock strikes midnight and Cinder hisses, “You need to go. She will be coming down to “check on me” soon and if she catches you then…” Winter nods, standing up and grabbing her jacket and she turns on her heel and begins walking to the door, “See you around, Cinder” Winter sends her a grin and Cinder can’t help but look away with a blush on her cheeks as Winter ascends up the stairs and into the lobby. Cinder swallowed thickly, lying herself down on the rag and she fell asleep, her dreams being plagued by slate blue eyes that glinted in the light.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was gone when Cinder woke up…

After her daily shock from Madame, for apparently not cleaning the kitchen enough, even though the floor was sparkling when she was done, Cinder walked to the room that she knew that Winter was staying in, hoping to apologise to her for snapping the day before but when she pushed open the door, she found it empty. Cinder’s brows furrowed but she shook her head, her hand reaching up to rub her neck as she swallowed thickly, grimacing as her body trembles from aftershocks.

After making sure that the room was tidy, which it was, surprisingly. It seemed to Cinder that Winter had cleaned up before she left. She turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door and using her utility key to lock it up. She sighed softly and turned towards the lobby where she found Rhodes sat in his usual chair, she grinned, and he caught her eye with a smile but quickly dropped it and motioned his head to the side. Cinder nodded and continued on with her chores.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Father, I was gone for a few hours at most” Winter said as she stood in front of her father’s desk. Jacques Schnee growled lowly, the movement ruffling his _horrific_ moustache and he snapped, “That is completely beside the point!” The older man stood up, slamming his hands on the desk and he continued, “I trust that you remember that the ball is tonight? How do you think that would make us look if you decided to pull that stunt tonight?!” Winter rolls her eyes and responds, “Father, I have already expressed my distaste for this ball so, quite frankly, I don’t see why I need to be there” Jacques narrows his eyes and snarls, “This ball is to decide your future you ungrateful little-” He cuts himself off with a shake of his head and Winter responds, “I have already decided my future. I am going to become a Huntress, a protector of the people. Just like Grandfather!” Winter flinches as a whiskey glass flies past her head and hits the wall.

“You will do no such thing!” Jacques yells angrily, his face red and steam practically bursting from his ears. Winter crosses her arms, eyes narrowed and a sneer on her lips, “Yes I will! and you can’t do anything to stop me!” She turns on her heel and walks out of the office, slamming the door behind her, ignoring her father’s calls of her name, among other things. “Winter!!” A cheery voice called from behind her and she stilled, spine rigid as she took deep and heavy breaths to calm her temper.

She turned on her heel and Weiss grinned at her and said, “Good morning sister” Winter sent Weiss a smile and responded, “Good morning Weiss. How have your lessons been going?” Weiss walks beside her and says, “They are going okay!” Winter hums and they walk in silence before Weiss pipes up, “Winter? A-Are you okay? I heard you and father arguing…” Winter sighs and responds, “I am fine, Weiss. Father and I were having… A disagreement” Weiss crosses her arms and says, “I’m not stupid Winter… That was more than a disagreement. I know when Father is angry but you… You sounded genuinely angry” Winter sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and she mutters, “You are far too smart for your age” and Winter runs a hand through her hair.

Winter crouched down to Weiss’ height and said, “Do not concern yourself with matters like this Weiss. You are not old enough to understand them yet” An offended look covers Weiss’ face and she snaps, “I am old enough! I turned 8 this year!!” Winter chuckles and says, “Trust me Weiss. For matters such as these, 8 is far too young an age. However, as you grow older, you will come to understand these things, but you have to find a way to handle them better than I have” Winter ruffles Weiss’ hair and mutters, “Now, off with you. You still have lessons to attend to” Weiss nods and answers, “Okay…” Winter kisses her forehead and sends her a smile before rising to her feet and walking off down the hall.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mother! Mother!! Mother!!” Cinder grimaced at the high pitch squealing coming from the twins, Senna and Sapphire, as they came running into the kitchen. Madame sighs, turning around and she asks, “What is it children?” Senna holds up a letter and she squeals, “It’s from Jacques Schnee!!” Sapphire bounces on the balls of her feet and she says, “He’s holding a ball!” Madame opens the letter, and she reads through it, a smirk on her face and she looks at her daughters and says, “For the hand of his eldest daughter… Interesting” Senna looks up at her mother, like a dog expecting a treat and she asks, “Can we go?! Please can we go!” Madame chuckles and says, “Of course my children. We must get you new dresses” Cinder swallows thickly, knowing that this would be one of her only chances to see Winter again and she turns around and asks, “U-Uh… Ma’am?” The woman looks at her, a cruelness in her eyes that makes Cinder swallow thickly out of fear, “Yes, Cinder?” Cinder rests her hands behind her back and asks, “C-Can I go to the ball?” The room is silent before the twins burst out laughing.

Sapphire holds her stomach as she keels over and she asks, “You?! Go to the ball?! No way!!” Senna wipes her eyes and asks, “Yeah! What would a member of the Schnee family want with a maid?!?!” Cinder opens her mouth and goes to say something, but she closes her mouth and Madame holds her hand up and says, “Well, I don’t see why not” Cinder’s eyes light up and the twins look at her mother and exclaims, “But mother!!!” Madame sends her daughters a look and says, “Girls, please. Cinder is still one of the family after all. We must include her in ‘family’ activities” Cinder smirks and Senna sneers, “Surely you aren’t bringing _her_ shopping with us” Madame laughs, the sound making Cinder’s blood boil and the woman grins and says, “Of course not” and they all walk out of the room.

Cinder clenches her fist and hisses, “How the hell am I supposed to get a dress in time? The ball is tonight!” Cinder runs a hand through her hair and hears, “Ah… back again, I see?” Cinder’s heart rises in her chest and she turns around and walks out of the room, peeking around the wall. “Yes. Just as before, keep my identity a secret. I am not in the mood for games” Winter seemed angry and Cinder clenched both her fists, rage boiling in her gut and Madame nodded and said, “Of course ma’am. Cinder!!” Cinder sped out from behind the wall, hands held in front of her, “Yes ma’am?” Madame sent her a look, holding a key out to Cinder and she said, “Show our guest to the same room she stayed in last time and be quick about it” Cinder nods and takes the key before sending Winter a subtle smile and motioning to follow her. Winter nods, her face emotionless and she follows Cinder up the stairs.


	3. Midnight... Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being invited to a high end Atlesian party wasn't how Cinder was expecting to spend her evening but if it meant that she got to spend the night with Winter then she wasn't really complaining.
> 
> She just needs to remember to return home before midnight... Well... That shouldn't be too hard... Should it?

“What are you doing here, Winter? You know the ball is tonight, don’t you?” Cinder asked, arms crossed over her chest and Winter turned to her and answered, “Yes, I am aware. However, I wanted to know if you are going to be present tonight” Cinder sighed, looking away and she answered, “I don’t know. Madame said that I could go but she wouldn’t take me shopping for a dress…” Winter hums and says, “I see…” Cinder looks at the floor and Cinder looks up when she hears rustling.

Cinder’s eyes land on the black ballgown and Winter scratches the back of her neck and she mutters, “I had a feeling that _she_ wouldn’t have gotten you a dress, so, I took one from my grandmothers unfinish collection. She used to sew a lot of outfits before she passed away. It was sitting in her room doing nothing but, a little birdie told me that you are quite good at sewing…” Cinder swallows and answers, “I’m okay at it… Why?” Winter places another bag on the bed, this time filled with needles and threads of all colours and Winter motioned to it and she says, “If they won’t buy you a dress, then make your own” Cinder thought about it and soon she smirked and asked, “Okay. Will you help me sneak this down to the basement?” Winter shakes her head and answers, “Oh no. Work on it up here, in the proper light” Winter walks over to the door and flicks the switch, turning on the bright light and she turns back to Cinder and says, “Go ahead. I’ll make up a convincing lie and cover for you” Cinder nods and Winter walks out of the room.

It took Cinder almost an hour to finish off the dress and she quickly snuck it down to the basement without madame’s knowledge and hid it in the darkest corner of the room, so it wouldn’t be found. Winter followed her down there and said, “One more thing. I requested that tonight be a masquerade, so, I got you this. It matches the dress quite well, I think” She holds out a glass mask that starts as black but fades to a fiery orange at the bottom. Cinder smiles and says, “Thank you…” Winter waves her off and says, “Don’t worry about it. What are friends for?” She sends Cinder a smile and Cinder looks away, a pit in her stomach at the word _friends._ “A car will be ready to pick you up at 8. I also took liberty to invite Rhodes, so you don’t arrive alone. Don’t be late now” Winter said as she turned back towards the stairs and once Cinder gave her a nod, she left.

The hours ticked by, with Cinder working as hard as she possibly could to finish her chores by 8pm. Madame and her daughters left for the party early, leaving Cinder alone to get ready so she put her cleaning supplies away and bolted downstairs, pulling the dress off the hanger and she made her way to the room W inter was staying in, where Cinder took a bath and got herself ready.

She stood in front of the mirror, turning and twisting and she heard the hotel door open. She swallowed thickly, listening intently, “Cinder! Time to go kiddo!” At the sound of Rhodes’ voice, Cinder walked out of the room, locking the door behind her and she walked down the stairs. Rhodes smiled at her and said, “You look great kiddo” Cinder smiles slightly and asks, “Do you really think so?” Rhodes nods and answers, “Yeah! You’ll put all the other ladies to shame, kid. Now, are you ready to go?” Cinder nodded and Rhodes held out his hand and Cinder took it before following him out of the hotel.

Cinder gasped at the sight of the white car with light blue snowflake decals littering the body. Rhodes chuckled and said, “It seems you have an admirer, kiddo” Cinder looked away and stammers, “W-We’re just friends” Rhodes nodded, the look on his face making it obvious that he doesn’t believe her.

The driver steps out of the car and asks, “Are you miss Cinder Fall?” Cinder nodded and responded, “I am” The driver nods and reaches into the car and pulls out a flower. He walks over to her and says, “Miss Schnee asked me to give you this” He passes the flower to her and Cinder smiles softly and thanks the driver quietly. The older man nods and Rhodes takes the flower and places it in her hair. Cinder grinned at him and Rhodes smiles down at her and says, “Let’s go kid” The driver opens the door for them both and they climb into the car.

The drive to Schnee manor was quiet and Cinder could feel her nerves building as the giant house came into view. The gates were open and there were cars entering and leaving the estate and Rhodes rested a hand on Cinder’s shoulder and asked, “You have never been to one of these before… have you?” Cinder shakes her head and answers, “No” Rhodes nods and answers, “Okay, well, there isn’t much to them. It’s just a night of dancing and talking. I’m sure you’ll be occupied with Miss Winter Schnee though” Rhodes sends Cinder a grin and Cinder responds, “I don’t know what you mean” Rhodes nudges Cinder and teases, “You like her, don’t you?” Cinder blushes hard and exclaims, “No! No of course not! She’s…” Cinder stops herself when the car stops and Rhodes chuckles a little and mutters, “We will continue this conversation another time” Cinder nods and she climbs out of the car and closes the door behind her.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Winter groans softly under her breath, looking around the room and her father sends her a look and snaps, “Stand up straight Winter. You aren’t a peasant from the slums” Winter rolls her eyes and bites back her response. Two blonde girls walk up to her and the tallest one smiles at her and says, “Miss Schnee… I’m Senna and this is my sister Sapphire” Winter smiles and says, “I remember you two” Senna grins and holds a glass of wine out to Winter and asks, “Would you like a drink, miss Schnee?” Winter shakes her head and answers, “My apologies… I don’t drink. I prefer to be sober during occasions such as this” Senna looks slightly disappointed but masks it with a smile and Sapphire sends Winter a grin and asks, “Would it be wrong of me to ask you to dance, miss Schnee?” Winter hums and is about to respond when she looks up and spots Cinder through the crowd. Winter looks at the twins and says, “Forgive me but I must take my leave for a moment” The twins are about to protest but Winter pushes past them, making sure her hair looked okay before she reached Cinder.

Rhodes saw Winter coming and he tapped Cinder on the shoulder and the amber eyed teen turned around and almost gasped at the sight of Winter standing behind her. Winter grinned and breathed, “I-I’m glad you could make it. You look… Wow…” Cinder blushes and asks, “Do you really think so?” Winter nods and answers, “Yes. The dress looks… amazing on you” Cinder blushes harder and Winter lifts her head when she hears music fill the room.

Winter flushed red and she turned back to Cinder and asked, “May I have this dance?” Cinder looked up at Rhodes and he nodded his head and pushed Cinder towards the eldest Schnee child. Cinder swallowed thickly and looked back up to Winter, “You may” Her voice came out as a squeak and Winter gently took her hand and leant down to kiss it, her lips lingering on Cinder’s covered knuckles for a bit longer than planned. Cinder blushed scarlet and Winter led her over to the dance floor.

“I meant what I said you know” Winter murmured as her and Cinder swayed to the music. Cinder looked up at her as Winter twirled her, spinning Cinder away from her before pulling her back and Winter continued, “That dress really does look great on you” Cinder draped her arms around Winter’s neck and says, “You look pretty great too. I had no idea that you could clean up so nicely” Winter laughs quietly and answers, “Well I made an attempt tonight” Cinder smiles and asks, “Why? Trying to impress someone?” Winter winks at her and says, “Maybe” The music changes and Winter pulls Cinder closer with a smirk and Cinder smirks back and spins away.

The duo walks around each other for a few seconds, waiting for the other to make their move and Cinder failed to hold in her gasp of surprise when Winter circled her arm around Cinder’s waist and pulled her closer. Winter spins Cinder around, so her back is against Winter’s front and the taller girl wraps her arm around Cinder’s waist again and lifts her, spinning around several times before she places the amber-eyed teen down and pulls her back into her arms.

Cinder becomes aware of the crowd surrounding them and Winter squeezes her hand and murmurs, “Don’t worry about them. Just focus on me, okay?” Cinder swallows thickly and says, “Okay” Winter rests one of her hands behind her back and holds her arm up. Cinder rests her arm against Winters and picks up a bit of her dress and they spin, Cinder’s eyes staying locked with Winter’s and the shorter girl gasps loudly when Winter brings her back into her embrace and dips her.

The song comes to an end and Winter puffs out some air from her mouth, trying to move her bangs from her eyes as her breathing comes out in shallow pants. Cinder’s heart thunders against her chest and she sucks in a breath through her teeth. Her eyes flick to Winter’s lips and then back up to her eyes and Cinder’s breath hitches when Winter’s eyes follow the same path.

 _Kiss her you idiot!_ Cinder’s subconscious yells at her and Cinder takes the chance and leans closer and closer until their lips are inches apart, but Winter pulls away quickly, clearing her throat and she says, “Would you like to take a walk with me? The gardens are lovely in the evening” Cinder nods and says, “I would like that very much, yes” Winter cracks a small smile and takes Cinder’s hand in her own and leads her outside.

Once outside, Winter removes her jacket, draping it over Cinder’s shoulders and Cinder quietly thanks her. Winter looks up at the moon as they walk and Cinder asks, “Winter… If I may ask. Are you going to be attending Atlas Academy?” Winter hums and answers, “Yes. Yes, I am. What gave it away?” Cinder motioned to the sword on Winter’s bet and said, “The sword gave it away. Its beautiful though” Winter grinned and answered, “Yes, it is rather beautiful isn’t it… My grandfather helped me forge it and I used my mother’s sword for inspiration” Cinder looked at her and asked, “Your mother is a huntress?!” Winter chuckles and says, “ _Was_ a huntress. Mother hasn’t been out on the field since before I was born” Cinder hums thoughtfully and Winter lets out a sigh.

“She used to travel with my grandfather a lot before she fell pregnant with me” Winter continues with a soft smile on her face. Cinder nods and Winter turns to her and asks, “and you? What about your family” Cinder shrugs and answers, “I don’t have one… I never knew my parents… They gave me up when I was young. I was dumped in an orphanage in Mistral where I grew up doing chores while the others would play and bully me. Then madame… she adopted me, I guess, and I am back where I started” Winter squeezes her hand and mumbles, “You deserve better…” She turns to the shorter girl and says, “Are you training for the huntsman exam?” Cinder nods and answers, “Yes. Rhodes… He is training me” Winter nods and a butler walks over to them and says, “Forgive me miss Schnee. Ma’am. Your father has requested your presence” Winter nods and answers, “Of course” Cinder sends Winter a smile and says, “I must go and find Rhodes. Please excuse me miss Schnee” Winter hums and kisses Cinder’s knuckles and says, “Enjoy the rest of the night” Cinder nods and mumbles, “You too” before she turns on her heel and walks away.

Cinder walks back inside and looks up at the clock on the wall and sucks in a deep breath.

_Its almost Midnight…_


	4. And So Midnight Strikes

“You wanted to see me father?” Winter said as she stopped next to her father. Jacques Schnee nodded, sipping from his wine glass and he said, “Yes. I want you to make friends with the girls from the hotel and pick one of them as your future wife. To have more successful businesses tied to the Schnee Dust Company would be most profitable for us” Winter grimaced, swallowing the bile that rose in her throat.

At Winter’s silence, he turns his head, a stern gaze on his face and he asks, “Am I understood?” Winter looks at him, glaring slightly as she responds, “No sir. I won’t play with a girl’s feelings because of your selfish greed” Jacques tightens his hand around his wine glass, and he growls, “You will do as you are told and do your duty to your family” Winter turns her head and growls, “No. I won’t do it” Jacques stares Winter down for a few seconds before Winter feels a burning sensation rise up her arm.

She resists the urge to hold her arm, teeth clenched, and brows furrowed in pain. Jacques smirks and snaps, “Do it or that girl you like so much will suffer the consequences” Winter’s blood goes cold, freezing over like the water off the coast of Atlas and Jacques smirks, “Am I understood now?” Winter nods quickly and she mutters, “Yes sir…” Jacques nods and mutters, “I suggest you get started then” Winter nods and walks off towards the twins.

Cinder caught Winter’s eye and the blue-eyed girl looks back at her father, breathing a sigh of relief when she realises that he has disappeared. _Probably has gone back to his office… Thank the gods_ , Winter walks over to Cinder and says, “Hi” Cinder smiles at her and says, “Hello Winter. What did your father need you for?” Winter scratches the back of her neck and she looks away from Cinder and murmurs, “Oh… That… It was nothing. I wouldn’t worry about that because I won’t be obeying his orders…” Cinder hums in response and Winter notices that Cinder keeps glancing at the clock every now and then and she asks, “Planning on leaving so soon?” Cinder nods and answers, “Unfortunately. I need to be back at the hotel by midnight so madame doesn’t become suspicious” Winter is about to respond when another voice joins the conversation, “Ah, Cinder…” Cinder cringes and she turn around and says, “H-Hello… Ma’am” Madame smirks, both of her daughters flanking her, gazing at Winter with a predatory gaze and Winter swallows uncomfortably.

Senna walks forward and says, “Come on Cinder, lets get you a drink” She trips over her own two feet on purpose and Winter moves in between Senna and Cinder, protecting the latter from the wine now flying from Senna’s glass and ultimately splashing wine on her shirt. She growls lowly and Senna backs away, eyes widened in fear and she stammers, “M-Miss Schnee I… I am so sorry!” Winter narrows her eyes and sneers, “I think its time for you ALL to leave. AND you” She looks pointedly at madame and the woman raises her brows as Winter continues, “You can tell my father that I will not go through with your plan. I will NOT and NEVER will marry one of your daughters” Winter straightens the cuffs of her shirt, a proud look appearing on her face as madame scoffs offendedly and the twins seem to crumble in defeat.

Winter straightens her tie, loosening it a little and she turns to Cinder, a hand coming up to stroke her cheek and she murmurs, “As for you, I would like you to stay a while longer… If I may have the pleasure of your company that is” Cinder nods and breathes, “I would be honoured” Winter smiles and says, “Excellent” She turns back to Madame and her daughters and growls, “Now get out. If I find you on the grounds, then…. I expect you get the message” Winter’s hand wraps around the hilt of her rapier and Madame ushers her daughters outside. Winter smirks and she turns to Cinder and says, “Excuse me for a moment” and she chases after them.

“Lady Tremaine!” Winter calls and the older woman stops, and she asks, “What do you want now? Do you wish to embarrass me further?” Winter shakes her head and answers, “Oh no. I wish to tell you, and I suggest you listen, IF I find out that you have continued to shock Cinder and not treat her like a normal person then I will personally shut down your business. Do I make myself clear?” Lady Tremaine stops and turns to Winter and sneers, “I’m not afraid of you child” Winter chuckles deeply and responds, “Well you should be” and the Schnee turns around and walks back inside.

Cinder looks up as Winter stops in front of her and the Schnee smiles and says, “Please excuse me, I have to go and change my shirt” Cinder nods and answers, “Of course” Winter kisses her knuckles before walking through the crowd and leaving the room.

After a few moments, Winter comes back, now wearing a black shirt with an orange flame effect at the bottom. Cinder smiles and hands Winter her jacket back, a blush on her face and she says, “I apologise, I should have given it back earlier” Winter waves her off and says, “Don’t worry about it” She pulls the jacket back on and Cinder looks at the dance floor and then back at Winter and she asks, “Would it be wrong of me to ask for another dance?” Winter scratches the back of her neck and says, “I was about to ask you the same thing” She holds out her hand and Cinder takes it, allowing Winter to lead her to the dance floor.

After one final dance, the clock strikes midnight. Cinder pulls away from Winter, a sad smile on her face and Winter kisses her knuckles and says, “Let me walk you to the car” Cinder hums and Winter leads her outside, to the car. She pulls open the door for Cinder and asks, “Would you like me to accompany you back to the hotel?” Cinder shakes her head and answers, “No thank you. I’ll be okay, honest” Winter nods and says, “It was wonderful spending time with you this evening Cinder. I hope we can do it again sometime” Cinder nods and says, “I would like that. Goodnight Winter” Winter bows in response and Cinder climbs into the car.

Winter leans on the window and holds her hand out, a glyph appearing on her hand and summoning a rose. She passes it to Cinder, a grin on her face and she murmurs, “Have a good night, Miss Fall” Cinder smiles back and answers, “You too, Miss Schnee” and Winter steps back from the car as it pulls out of the drive and is out of sight.


	5. To Be or Not To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madame tries to convince Cinder than Winter is a bad person. Meanwhile, Winter has a much needed catch up with her mother.

Cinder walked up the steps leading up from the basement, humming as she did so. Madame eyed her cautiously, eyes narrowed in something akin to anger as the younger girl twirled around the kitchen, an almost blissful look on her face.

“Cinder!” The call of her name snapped Cinder out of her daydream, and she stammered, “Y-Yes ma’am?” Madame walked over to her, controller in her hand and she rested her hands behind her back and said, “I don’t want you going anywhere near that Schnee girl anymore” Cinder swallowed thickly and asked, “W-Why?” Madame turns on her heel and says, “Because, the Schnees are not to be trusted. They stand on little people like us to better their own futures. Just like every other Atlas elite” Cinder stepped forward shaking her head and she responded, “Winter isn’t like that! She isn’t-” Cinder is cut off by a violent shocking feeling coursing through her body and she cries out in pain.

“That’s what the spoilt girl wants you to think child. She wants you to think that she is better than the others of her kind, but that simply isn’t the truth. The truth is, the Schnee’s are worse than the other Atlas elites” Madame says, a smirk on her face and smugness to her tone. Cinder shook her head and groaned, “You’re wrong!” The shocking suddenly stops and Madame turns around, glaring down at Cinder who is currently pulling herself off the floor.

Cinder looks up at her and growls, “Winter is NOTHING like them! She is NOTHING like you! Just because you are jealous that she has taken an interest in me and not your daughters, you are trying to paint her as the bad guy!” There is a silence in the room until there is a loud sound of skin on skin.

The burning in Cinder’s cheek is the only indication that she had been hit. Cinder brought her hand up to her cheek and Madame glared at her, shaking her hand to try and take the stinging sensation out of her palm. “Do not push me, Cinder. I gave you a new life… A fresh start and I CAN take it away” Cinder nodded, and the woman backed up slightly and ordered, “Get to work… Now” Cinder nodded again and walked out of the room, keeping her head down as she began her chores.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, what’s going on between you and that girl from last night?” Winter looked up from her breakfast, staring at her mother and she swallowed her mouthful of food before asking, “What girl?” Willow rolled her eyes and said, “The girl in that black dress with fire accents. There was obvious chemistry between you two” Winter looked back down at her plate and said, “I… I don’t know what you mean mom” The blush currently rising on Winter’s face tells Willow that somethings going on and Jacques looks at her and asks, “What about the girls from the hotel” Winter clenches her fist and answers, “There is nothing going on between me and those girls. They are money grabbing, uncultured children who don’t care about anything or anyone. If anything, Cinder is a better fit for me” Willow smirks, placing her cutlery down.

She leans forward on her elbows and says, “So mystery girl does have a name” Winter pushes away from the table and says, “I don’t have time for this. Ares needs feeding and he needs exercise” Jacques sends Winter a look and snaps, “You will sit down and finish your breakfast!” Winter rolls her eyes and says, “I’m no longer hungry” She kisses Weiss’ head and then Whitley’s before she turns on her heel and walks out of the room.

She pushes open her door and closes it, leaning against the cold wood. Winter sighed softly before crossing the threshold towards the large, house like cage next to her bed. She smiles softly as her young Galapagos Hawk peeks his head out, releasing a little squeak. She strokes his head with two fingers and says, “Good morning Ares. Sleep well?” Ares walks out of the cage and onto Winter’s shoulder and she reaches for a small piece of meat from his bowl and passes it to him, the bird taking it from between her fingers.

Ares chirps happily and he nuzzles against Winter’s head. Winter hums softly, stroking his neck and she asks, “Do you want to go out for a fly? Okay, finish your breakfast and then you can go” Winter turns her wrist and Ares walks down it and onto his perch, where he happily eats his food. Winter walks over to her desk and sits down in the chair, reaching for the pen currently sat next to the inkwell on her desk.

Ares flies over and lands on Winter’s free hand and cocks his head to the side as Winter writes on the paper in front of her. When she is finished, she rolls it up, small enough for Ares to pinch it in his beak and Winter passes it to him and says, “Take this to Cinder for me, okay?” Ares chirps in response and takes the note, pinching it in his beak and Winter stands up, placing Ares’ treats pouch around his neck and she walks over to the window.

She pushes open the window and says, “Be careful Ares” Ares makes a noise of acknowledgement and he flies off. “Sending secret notes Winter?” Winter jumps away from the window and turns to the door, eyes narrowed as she glares at the new person in the room. Willow smiles and says, “I apologise dear. I didn’t mean to frighten you” Winter crosses her arms and says, “You didn’t frighten me mother. You just surprised me, that’s all” Willow hums and points out, “Okay. Well, I was hoping to have a nice chat with you, you know, some mother and daughter time. It has been a while since we have spent time together, Winter” Winter barely bites back her response of “Well, who’s faults that?” and she looks out the window and says, “I’d like that” Winter sits on her desk and Willow takes the plush couch next to the dresser.

“So, who is this Cinder girl?” Willow asks curiously. Winter sighs, knowing full well that her mother won’t let this go and she responds, “She’s a girl I met at the hotel. The Glass Unicorn? The same hotel that you visit frequently” Willow nods, the gears turning in her head before her eyes widen and she looks at Winter, surprise on her face and she asks, “The young girl with black hair and amber eyes?! That Cinder?!” Winter blushes and looks away, nodding slightly.

Willow hums, a chuckle leaving her lips and she says, “I’m not really surprised… She is beautiful. You have great taste darling” Winter sends her mother a look and says, “Better than you anyway” Willow returns the look and says, “I know that your father wasn’t the best choice and because of my decision, we have all had to deal with the consequences and I am terribly sorry about that but you know that I will do anything and everything in my power to protect all of you, don’t you?” Winter nods and answers, “Yes mother. I know” Willow stands up, walking over to her daughter and she says, “Chin up Winter. That girl would be crazy not to notice you” Winter smiles sadly and murmurs, “Thanks mom…” Willow’s surprise at the use of ‘mom’ doesn’t go unnoticed by Winter but Willow quickly hides it and pulls her eldest daughter into a hug.


	6. Midnight Draws Its Own Conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an unfortunate situation befalls Rhodes and the Tremaines, Winter and Cinder choose to keep the truth a secret. Meanwhile, Winter's future path is already set-in motion but with an unexpected companion tagging along for the ride...
> 
> Not that Winter is complaining...

** A Few Months Later **

“You are planning to WHAT?” Jacques yells, slamming his hands on his mahogany desk. Winter sighs and answers, “I have told you that I would be attending Atlas Academy for the past few years father. I don’t see why this is so shocking to you” Jacques narrows his eyes and snaps, “I thought you would have given up on that pathetic dream after your grandfather left! You are going to be the next CEO of the SDC!” Winter slams her hands on her father’s desk, pushing herself up and she growls, “Just because you sired me does NOT mean that you get to choose my destiny for me” Jacques sat down in his chair and snarled, “You are my daughter and you WILL do as I say” Winter stands up straight and responds, “I will do what I want, and I want to become a Huntress. General Ironwood has already offered me a place” Jacques glares at the male hovering at the back of the room and asks, “Is this true?” Ironwood steps forward, straightening his tie and he nods.

“Yes. Winter has shown incredible skill in both combat and with her semblance. I have no doubt that she will pass the entrance exam with flying colours” Jacques narrows his eyes further and he snaps, “She’ll not be going! She is my heir and as such, she will take her rightful place as CEO of the company!” Winter crosses her arms and says, “Father, it isn’t a crime for me to learn how to fight. If I should take over the company one day, then I would like to learn how to protect myself. I want to run the company like Grandfather did and if that is to be my method then, you can’t stop me and I can still be the CEO of the company while I am a Huntress” Jacques makes a move to respond but he sighs and answers, “Very well then. You can attend Atlas Academy, but I will have no nonsense of joining the military. That is for unruly brats and peasants and no place for a Schnee” Winter rolls her eyes and says, “Yes father” She stands up from the chair and Jacques dismisses her with a wave of her hand. Ironwood nods at her and Winter walks out of the room. Winter makes her way out of the manor and begins the walk to The Glass Unicorn, wanting to see Cinder before her evening lessons begin.

Winter pushes open the door to the hotel, expecting to be greeted by a lobby filled with drunken warriors and nobles but instead, she is greeted by silence. Winter swallowed thickly and she called, “Cinder?” A loud bang came from the backroom, causing Winter to jump and gasp in surprise and she bolted towards the door, slamming open the door to the basement and thundering down the stone steps. Once she reached the bottom, she stopped upon seeing the bodies lying on the ground.

_Lady Tremaine…. Senna… Sapphire and… Oh god… Rhodes…_

Upon seeing the body of Rhodes, Winter’s eyes skimmed the room out of fear until a shuffle of fabric catches her attention and she locks eyes with Cinder. Winter gasps with relief and walks over, crouching before the girl as she asks, “Cinder… What happened?” Cinder looks away, looking down at her hands and Winter understands.

“You killed them?” Cinder lets tears slide down her face and she nods, opening her mouth to speak, “Are you going to turn me in too?” her voice is hoarse, as if she had been crying for hours and judging on how red her eyes were, Winter suspected that she had been. Winter looked back at the bodies and grunted, “Good riddance honestly. The Tremaines have always been vile humans and Rhodes… Well… He was no saint either” Cinder looked up at Winter and asked, “That doesn’t answer my question… Yes or no Winter… Are you going to betray me too?” Winter chuckles and holds out her hand, “Of course not. That would make me no better than them. I will take this secret to my grave if I have to” Cinder looks away and asks, “Why?” Winter looks down at Cinder and says, “Because I….” She hesitates for a moment, clearing her throat before continuing, “Because I care about you. Now come on… You are coming back to the manor with me so I can take care of that wound and then you can stay with us for the next few years until School starts”, she motions to the blood now pooling on Cinder’s side and Cinder takes Winter’s hand and the taller girl gently pulls her up, resting her hand on Cinder’s good side to steady her.

“What about your family?” Cinder asks, her voice hesitant and Winter sends her a smile and says, “You don’t have to worry about them. They will have to go through me before anything happens to you and as my fathers ‘prized heiress’ they won’t say no to me” Cinder nods slowly and Winter leads her out of the basement and Cinder looks at her and Winter says, “If anyone asks what happened, say that someone broke in and tried to steal money from the safe. Lady Tremaine and her daughters tried to stop them, assisting the help of Rhodes but they died in the process” Cinder nods and asks, “But what about the money… Wouldn’t people become suspicious if its still there?” Winter hummed and answers, “Very true… Do you know the code to the safe?” Cinder nods and Winter motions for her to go back and open it. After a few minutes, Cinder comes back, and Winter leads her outside and back to the manor.

“What do you think?” Winter asks as she pushes open the door to her room. Getting Cinder past her family went easier than expected when Winter explained the situation. Her mother was scheming as usual, probably thinking of ways to get Winter and Cinder together, Weiss and Whitley were excited to get to know Cinder and her father couldn’t care less, simply saying that Cinder was Winter’s problem.

Cinder looked around the room and she murmured, “Its… Its beautiful” Winter smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad you think so because you will be staying here, with me” Cinder looks at Winter and asks, “Are you sure? I don’t want to get in the way” Winter waved her off and says, “Nonsense. I would be happy to share. This room is way too big for one person anyway” Cinder smiles slightly and Winter squeezes Cinder’s hand before she pulls away.

“Now, I have to go and bid my siblings goodnight. Please, make yourself at home. The bathroom is through that door, feel free to use whatever you want” Winter says as she walks to the door and Cinder mutters, “Thank you” Winter nods and responds, “Don’t mention it. Sleep clothes are in the fourth drawer down” Winter motions to the dresser before leaving the room and Cinder lets out the breath she was holding, looking around the large room.

_Well… This will take some getting used to..._


	7. Learning The Ropes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Cinder settling into life in the manor without a problem, Winter decides to invite her to train with her... and meet her grandfather. Oh and Winter decides to take Cinder out for a breakfast date... at least she thinks its a date...

Its early in the morning when Winter is woken up by her door opening. She moves to shift, to look at the intruder but the body beside her forbids any movement. Winter smiles softly, looking down at Cinder, who was nuzzled snugly into Winter’s chest, one arm resting under her head and the other resting between them.

Winter didn’t mind the contact, if anything, she welcomed it. She was known to be quite cuddly in her sleep, a trait which Weiss has complained about before but never done anything about, so it was nice for Winter to find someone with the same trait.

Winter heard someone clear their throat and she looked over her shoulder, spotting Klein with some letters in his hand. “You slept in Miss Schnee. Your grandfather sent me to fetch you” Winter nods and murmurs, “Thank you Klein. I will be down soon” He nods and says, “Of course ma’am. You have some mail as well. I’ll just leave it on your desk” Winter nods and Klein places the letters on the desk before leaving the room.

“Cinder” Winter murmured quietly, nudging the other girl as she twitched in her sleep. Her brows creased and she suddenly jolted in what seemed like pain. Her hands unconsciously reached for her throat and Winter had to grab her hands to stop Cinder clawing at her own neck. “Cinder” Winter wrapped her arms around the girl and Cinder whimpered, “N-No… Stop… P-Please… H-Hurts” Winter quickly released her but kept hold of her hands and she said, “Cinder, you’re okay, I promise. Nobody is going to hurt you” It seems that Winter’s words pulled Cinder from her nightmare because a few seconds later, the girl jolts awake.

Winter caressed her face, wiping away a stray tear and she murmurs, “Its okay… You’re with me. You’re safe” Cinder swallows thickly, looking up at Winter and she muttered, “I’m sorry” Winter shakes her head and answers, “Don’t apologise. There is no need for you to apologise” Winter sat up and stretched. Cinder watched, a blush rising on her face, as Winter’s shirt rode up her body, revealing her toned stomach.

She averted her gaze when Winter looked at her and the Schnee chuckled softly, “I’m guessing you like what you see, huh?” Winter teases gently and Cinder pushes her and groans, “As if!” Winter laughs and says, “Don’t be so defensive. I know I’m hot, but I know someone who is even hotter” Winter winks at the amber-eyed teen and Cinder pushes her again, causing Winter to fall from the bed.

Winter landed on the floor with a thud, her back taking the brunt of the hit and she groaned in pain. Cinder’s laugh reached Winter’s ears and she pushed herself up, kneeling beside the bed, a smile clear on her face. Winter checks the time, curses under her breath, and begins to dress herself. “Winter?” Cinder asks curiously and the taller girl looks at her, cocking her head to the side, “Yeah?” Cinder sits up and asks, “Where are you going?” Winter ties her hair up into a ponytail and she pulls on the tracksuit jacket in her hand, leaving it unzipped, leaving her abdomen exposed.

“Training. You are welcome to come with. My grandfather has the course set up by now” Winter says as she passes a pile of clothes to Cinder. Cinder stands up, beginning to dress and she ask, “What course?” Winter grabs the case from under her bed and she responds, “Grandfather is quite adept when it comes to creating equipment so, he made a simulation system a year before I began my training. If he hadn’t… I probably would have lost control by now” Cinder raises a brow and asks, “Lost control of what?” Winter shakes her head and answers, “Its… It’s complicated…. Don’t worry about it” She pops the locks on the case, pulling out her rapier and Winter looks back at Cinder and asks, “Don’t worry. Grandfather has an assortment of weapons in the training room” Cinder nods and Winter leads her down to the training room.

“Grandfather?” Winter calls as she walks into the room. Cinder follows behind her, hesitantly and almost stops when a man, much taller than Winter walks over, a big grin on his face. “There’s my little snowdrop!” He wraps his arms around Winter and picks her up. Winter laughs softly and once she is placed down, she steps back and says, “Grandfather, I would like you to meet Cinder” The man smiles at Cinder and says, “Pleasure to meet you Cinder. I’m Nicholas Schnee but you can just call me Nicholas” Cinder nods and answers, “Its nice to meet you too, Nicholas” Nicholas rubs his hands together and asks, “Okay! Are you two ready?” Winter nods and she nudges Cinder and says, “Over there is Grandfather’s stash of weapons. Pick as many as you’d like to try out and we can work on forging you your own later” Cinder nods and walks over to the small room.

Cinder walks out, a quiver strapped to her back and dual swords in her hands. Winter bites her lower lip subtly and Nicholas gently slaps her on the back of the head. “Ow!! What the hell?!” Winter yelps, rubbing her head and Nicholas sends her a look and says, “There is no need to stare at the girl as if she was your prey Winter” Winter glares at the older male and Cinder says, “I’m ready now” Nicholas nods and walks over to a control panel to set up the simulation.

“This simulation is wave based. The opponents you face will get harder as time goes on. You each have weak spots, as indicated on your Cross Coms” He walks back over, passing a headset looking thing to both of them and Winter places hers on without a problem, a screen appearing in front of her left eye and she turns to Cinder and helps her put hers on. She flips the screen in front of Cinder’s eye and says, “How does that feel?” Cinder moves her head and answers, “Weightless…” Winter chuckles and answers, “Good” Nicholas looks the girls over and nods slightly.

“Now, Winter has ran this course already so, stay by her side and you will be perfectly fine” Nicholas says to Cinder, causing the amber-eyed teen to nod. Winter sends her a smile and says, “You’ll be safe with me. Come on” Cinder follows Winter to the beginning of the course and the simulation boots up.

Cinder swallows thickly and she feels Winter rest her hand on her shoulder, “You’ll do great. Trust me” Cinder nods slightly and takes a deep breath and Winter runs forward, jumping and flipping over surfaces while Cinder follows behind, picking off enemies from a distance before running in and fighting close up.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinder downs the clear liquid in her water bottle, choking a little when she glances at Winter and watches water dribble down her chin and then down her throat. Cinder looks away, her face flushed scarlet and Nicholas walks over and says, “That was a rather good performance from you miss Fall. You have had training, haven’t you?” Cinder nods and answers, “Yes sir…” Nicholas nods and says, “Well, I must go. I have things that require my attention” He kisses Winter’s forehead before walking off.

Cinder looks over at Winter who is scratching the back of her neck and she asks, “Cinder? W-Would you like to go and get some breakfast with me? It’s around 7am now” Cinder nods and answers, “Yeah, sure. Lead the way, Winter” The amber-eyed teen smiles and Winter shakes her head with a cheeky grin, and she says, “I’ll meet you in the Schnee manor courtyard in an hour or so. I know for a fact that you will look gorgeous in anything you wear but make sure to wear something warm, okay?” Winter winks at her before walking off, leaving Cinder a blushing mess.

“She’s a charmer, isn’t she” A voice says from behind Cinder. The amber-eyed teen jumps and turns around, coming face to face with Winter’s mother. Cinder scratched the back of her neck and she says, “Yeah, she is… She must have inherited it from someone” Willow laughs softly, shaking her head gently and she answers, “It’s a natural talent of hers. She was naturally charismatic as a toddler. Used to love the attention of people but as she got older, she became more recluse. Its nice to see the old her peeking through again” Willow looks away, Cinder noticing the glistening of tears in the woman’s eyes and Willow shakes her head and says, “Well, looks like I have a job to do. Come. Let’s get you ready” Cinder swallows but nods and follows Willow out of the training hall.


End file.
